What is Islam
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
1) “Islam” means “Peace through the submission to God”.
2) “Muslim” means “anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God”.
3) Islam is not a cult. Its followers number over 1.5 billion people
worldwide. Along with Judaism and Christianity, it is considered to be
one of the three Abrahamic traditions.
4) There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must
be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a true
Muslim: A) Shahadah - declaration of faith in the oneness of God and
that Muhammad is the last prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five times a
day. C) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. D)
Poor-due “tax” - 2.5% of one’s savings given to the needy at the end of
each year. E) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and
financially able.
5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic
beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They
are belief in: A) the One God. B) all the prophets of God. C) the
original scriptures revealed to Prophets Moses, David, Jesus, and
Muhammad. D) the angels. E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F)
the divine decree (or destiny).
6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life:
moral, spiritual, social, political, economical, intellectual, etc.
7) Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. To
become Muslim, a person of any race or culture must say a simple
statement, the shahadah, that bears witness to the belief in the One God
and that Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet of God.
8) “Allah” is an Arabic word that means “God”. Muslims also believe that “Allah” is the personal name of God.
9) Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people
and all creation. Just because people refer to God using different terms
does not mean that they are different gods. Spanish people refer to God
as “Dios” and French people refer to God as “Dieu”, yet they are all
the same God. Interestingly, most Arab Jews and Arab Christians refer to
God as “Allah”. And the word Allah in Arabic appears on the walls of
many Arab churches.
10) The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful, and
compassionate. But Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in
punishment. Nevertheless, Allah once said to Prophet Muhammad, “My mercy
prevails over my wrath.” Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope,
protecting one from both complacency and despair.